Quality of care (QoC) has become more important to all involved in the chain of care (providers as well as purchasers). Providers have begun to be interested in evidence-based medicine and purchasers have begun to focus on the cost-effectiveness of health care in producing health outcomes (Mainz, 2003). Consumers of care demand high-quality levels of care.

This unit focuses on the assessment and management of the quality of care. Factors (micro, meso and macro level) that influence the quality of care will be addressed from different perspectives. Questions addressed in this module include: What is QoC in theory and practice? How to develop effective interventions? Is high quality of care expensive? How to improve the QoC? Do consumers have a different view about quality in comparison to providers? How is care ideally organized to optimize the quality? 

Knowledge and insight

The students acquire knowledge and understanding about:

           · The concept/theory on QoC;

           · QoC assessment;

           · QoC management;

           · The concept of evidence based healthcare;

           · Quality indicators;

           · Factors (micro, meso and macro level) that influence the QoC;

           · Different perspectives on quality of stakeholders involved in the chain of care;

           · The development, testing and evaluation (effect, process and cost) of evidence based interventions to improve the QoC;

           · Frameworks that can be helpful to development, testing and evaluation (effect, process and cost) of evidence based interventions;

           · How the organization of care (integrated care) contribute to the quality of care;

           · How to gain scientific evidence and the role of systematic reviews in relation to QoC.

Application of knowledge and insight

After this module the students are able to:

           · Critically judge the QoC provided;

           · Critically judge scientific articles (for example publication of an review);

           · Critically judge QoC assessement and management;

           · Critically judge the development, testing and evaluation (effect, process and cost) of evidence based interventions to improve the QoC;

           · Reflect on the aspects of integrated care in relation to QoC.

Forming opinions

After this module the students:

           · Have a critical attitude on evidence based care and the application in health care practice;

           · Can form and describe opinions on the quality of care provided in an organization from the perspective of different stakeholders involved;

           · Can form and describe opinions on indicators used to assess quality;

           · Can link theory and practice in relevant areas of the module.

Communication

After this module the students:

           · Are able to write and present about improving care based on scientific evidence gathered in a review;

           · Are orally be able to give feedback in the tutorial and study team meetings;

           · Are able to communicate his/ her opinion orally during a debate on QoC.

Learning skills

The students are able to:

           · Handle relevant information on cases discussed in the tutorials;

           · Identify issues related to the quality of health care, including its measurement, assessment, management and improvement;

           · Collaborate with other students in the tutorial groups;

           · Relate theory to practice on QoC.